Cooking over stove and fire has been an age-old occurrence. Assistance in cooking is desirable, such as to assure food temperature and doneness. Cooking pans are used in cookingxe2x80x94but provide no assistance in monitoring food temperature or doneness. One object of the invention is to provide an electronic frying pan to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art. Other objects will be apparent in the description that follows.
In one aspect, the invention provides an electronic frying pan with a thermally conductive pan for cooking food and a handle connected to the thermally conductive pan. The thermally conductive pan has one or more sensors attached therewith (e.g., inside or outside) to generate signals indicative of one or more characteristics (e.g., temperature) of the pan or food within the pan; the handle has electronics connected to the sensors for providing indications to a user of the frying pan regarding food cooked within the pan. Preferably, the handle electronics may be removed from the handle, and later replaced, so as to wash the pan without exposing the handle electronics to washing environments. The handle electronics preferably have a display to show desired information, e.g., food temperature, to the user. Preferably, a processor is included with the handle electronics to process signals from the sensors to provide food characteristics, e.g., doneness. Sensitive electronics are preferably included within the handle electronics, and the handle electronics are preferably thermally shielded from frying temperatures in the pan, so as to protect electronic components. User inputs to the processor (i.e., via the handle electronics) provide for selecting doneness (e.g., xe2x80x9cwell-donexe2x80x9d) and food type (e.g., meat, poultry, eggs) options.
In one aspect, the invention includes a digital frying pan, sensor electronics and a LCD display. The sensor electronics convert an analog sensor signal (for example, indicating pan temperature) into a digital signal for display at the LCD display of temperature in either Fahrenheit or Centigrade. A user of the digital frying pan preferably reads the display when facing the handle, and thus the display is preferentially oriented for this view. The information displayed preferably changes as pan or food temperature changes. In addition the display also preferably provides an analog representation of temperature, such as a bar graph. In one aspect, at least part of the sensor electronics are contained within removeable module, such that the module may be removed during washing of the digital frying pan so as not to damage sensitive electronics. In another aspect, the LCD display is also incorporated into the removeable module.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a remote food doneness system. The system couples with a wall or other surface and has a line of sight to cooking food such as within a frying pan. The system includes optics and one or more thermal sensing detectors; the optics image the cooking food to the thermal sensing detectors; and processing electronics within the remote food doneness system process signals from the detectors to determine food characteristics, e.g., temperature. In one embodiment, a processor and memory within the remote food doneness system stores information such as food items (e.g., eggs, chicken, beef) and corresponding food doneness and temperature settings. A user interface permits a user of the system to select food doneness options. The system preferably includes an audible or visual indicator to warn of programmed events, e.g., when food viewed by the system has reached desired temperatures or doneness. The system in one embodiment, for example, may thus xe2x80x9cviewxe2x80x9d cooking eggs and warn a user desiring the eggs that the eggs are xe2x80x9cover easyxe2x80x9d.
In one aspect, an electronic frying pan system is provided. The system includes a pan for cooking food and a handle connected to the pan for manipulating the pan. One or more temperature sensors connect with the pan to generate signals indicative of one or more characteristics of the pan, such as temperature. Indication electronics disposed with the handle connect with the sensors and disposed to provide at least one indication of the characteristics to a user of the pan.
In one aspect, the indication electronics includes a liquid crystal display to display the one or more characteristics to the user. By way of example, pan temperature is relayed to the user. Pan temperature of one aspect is calibrated to a food temperature as the food is generally not directly adjacent to a temperature sensor.
In one aspect, the indication electronics include a processor to process the signals to associate food characteristics corresponding to food cooking within the pan. Food characteristics can include food doneness.
In another aspect, a user interface is included with the frying pan to provide for selecting one of several food types, such that the processor generates food characteristics as a function of food type. Similarly, food temperatures may be selected in another aspect.
In a preferred aspect, the indication electronics are detachable and alternatively attachable with the handle, such that the pan may be washed without the indication electronics.
In still another aspect, the indication electronics have voice synthesis electronics to speak at least the one indication to the user.
Preferably, the indication electronics include a memory element for storing food doneness versus temperature settings for one or more food types.
In yet another aspect, an audible alarm is coupled with the indication electronics to audibly inform a user of the pan system of one of temperature and food doneness of food within the pan.
In one aspect, the indication electronics include a calibration memory to couple the indication electronics with a plurality of different size pans, such that the indication electronics provide calibrated information for the different size pans.
The invention of another aspect provides a method of cooking food in a frying pan, including the steps of: sensing temperature of the frying pan, processing pan temperature to determine one or more of food doneness and food temperature, and informing a user of the pan of the food doneness and/or food temperature.
The method can also include the steps of decoupling processing electronics from the frying pan prior to washing the pan and alternatively coupling the processing electronics with the frying pan prior to use.
The method can also include the steps of decoupling processing electronics from the frying pan and coupling the processing electronics with a second pan having a different size from the frying pan, and selecting calibration data within the processing electronics to provide calibrated information for the different size second pan.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of remotely monitoring. temperature of food, including the steps of: imaging the food onto a thermal sensor, processing signals from the thermal sensor to determine a temperature of the food, and informing the user of the temperature.
The method of this aspect preferably includes the step of attaching a housing coupled with the sensor to a surface in line of sight from the food.
In yet another aspect, the method includes the further step of imaging the food onto a CCD to display an image of the food to the user so as to physically arrange appropriate mounting of the housing to image the food onto the thermal sensor.
The invention of one aspect calibrates a thermal sensor arranged to sense temperature at the side of the pan. Since the side of the pan generally has a different temperature than the center of the pan, where food cooks, the invention calibrates the temperature taken at the side of the pan to correlate to the center of the pan. Software with the electronics module provides smoothing of the data based on rate of change of temperature at the side of the pan. This provides an average rate of change usable to compensate for temperatures in the pan center.
The invention is next described further in connection with preferred embodiments, and it will become apparent that various additions, subtractions, and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.